This week I would like to begin to address a question I get asked quite frequently – how much money should I spend on marketing and how should this be allocated between competing tactics? The first thing I always say is to never put all your eggs in one basket. Marketing is an art but yet there is very much of a scientific element that comes into play when analyzing the data (this assumes you are collecting data which you should be!). How do you decide between on and offline? Within online, what about Paid Search vs SEO vs site placements (banners, text links, sponsored sections etc) vs PR vs creating content such as articles etc? In a perfect world with unlimited resources you would do it all but business, like life, is a matter of making choices and choosing between options. The answer to this question and breakdown depends very much on your individual situation and ideally is derived from a higher-level strategic plan. One of the things that continues to surprise me is how many businesses don’t really have much of a plan if one at all. This can often mean that they don’t have a good handle on what their target audience is.
In all my marketing courses, we covered the 4 Ps of marketing but I really resonated with the article adapting these principles to the web and using the 4 T’s instead. I encourage you to read the short article on the 4T's.
This is not rocket science or particularly innovative but understanding and more importantly, implementing these 4 Ts is crucial to your marketing success. Next time I will explore the 4 Ts in more detail including the second T – Tactics.
About Hartland Ross
Hartland Ross is an online marketing strategist, entrepreneur, and founder and president of eBridge Marketing Solutions - an online marketing agency and consulting firm catering to technology companies.
An expert in the principles of marketing, strategy and business development, Hartland began his entrepreneurial career in the building materials industry as a successful franchise owner and operator. He followed this up with a stint in the pulp and paper industry before landing positions with two different internet marketing startups in the online advertising sector. He then took his online success and moved on to become VP of Sales and Marketing for a national training and development company.
Considered a pioneer in the online world, Hartland has been working in the sales and marketing of web based technology companies since 1999. He is well recognized and regarded in the hosting industry and to date has worked with over 150 web hosting companies providing business growth, marketing strategy and industry direction advice and recommendations.
With 15 years of business development experience, plus over 10 years experience in working specifically with technology companies, Hartland is a sought after speaker and online authority who is often interviewed and quoted in various industry related case studies and articles.
Corporate philanthropy is also top of mind for Hartland who believes it's important to give back to his community. Hartland is a past board member of Young Entrepreneurs Association and is an active mentor for Junior Achievement helping our youth become the business leaders of tomorrow.
A graduate of UBC, Hartland holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master degree in Business Administration with a focus on Business Strategy.
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